Ice-tongs.



D. HENDERSON.

lor; Tomas.

APPLICATiON FILED JULYE, i914. 1,140,592. jatentad May25,1915.

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Wimesses Inventor b y f/ Attorneys THE MORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTGYLITHO.,WASHINGION. n. C.

DOUGLAS HENDERSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

ICE-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,278.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DOUGLAS HENDERSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county ofDallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Ice- Tongs, ofwhich the following is a specication.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a pair oftongs adapted to handle ice and other articles, the construction beingsuch that the weight of the article handled may be indicated by suitablemeans carried by some portion of the structure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of the typeabove mentioned in which the springs which are compressed during theweighing operation may be locked against movement, when it is notnecessary for the article to be weighed.

It is within the scope of the invention to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawing z-Figure 1 is a side elevation showing apair of tongs constructed in accordance with the present invention,parts being broken away and sectioned; Fig. 2 is a top plan of thehandle, the lid or cover therefor being removed; Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken through the weight indicating drum; Fig. 11 is a top plan of theweight indicating drum; Fig. 5 is a fragmental section showing theoperative connection between the tongs proper and the handle; Fig. 6 isa perspective delineating one of the links; Fig. 7 is a perspectivedelineating another of the links; Fig. 8 is a perspective showing thetubular pivot element whereby the links shown in Figs. G and 7 areconnected together.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a. pair of tongsembodying crossed aws 1 united at their point of crossing by a pivotelement 2. Links 3 are provided, the links 3 cooperating with the jaws1, to form what, for convenience, may be denominated the tongs portionof the device.

For convenience in describing the location and relative positions of theparts, it will be presupposed that the structure is vertically placed,as indicated in Fig. 1, the terms upper, lower and the like beingselected accordingly.

The lower ends of the links 3 are provided with bifurcations 4freceiving the upper ends of the jaws 1. Through the bifurcations t andthrough the upper ends of the jaws 1 are passed pivot elements 5.

The handle is a composite structure and includes a trough-like body 6and a lid 7, the latter being held in place by means of securingelements 8. At its ends, the body portion 6 of the handle is providedwith bifurcations 9. Into the bifurcations 9 are threaded tubular pivotelements 10 upon the outer ends of which are mounted to swing the upperends of casings 11 of tubular form. Springs 12 lie within the casings 11and abut at their lower ends against the lower ends of the casings, thelinks 3 entering the lower ends of the casings 11 and lying within thecontour of the springs 12. Pins or like projections 14L are mounted inthe links 3 and engage the springs 12. The pins 15 may terminate inindices 1%, adapted to move on scales 17 inscribed on the outer faces ofthe casings 11 adjacent longitudinal slots 16 in the casings, throughwhich slots the indices project.

Each link 3 at its upper end is provided with spaced ears 18 havingopenings 19, the openings 19 being adapted to receive tubular pivotelements 2O supporting for swinging movement, secondary links 21, thelinks 21 being provided with openings 22 which receive the pivotelements 20, to the end that the links 21 may swing freely on the pivotelements 20. The links 21 at their inner ends are provided with openings23 or other suitable means to receive the outer ends of flexibleelements 24 which may be wires. These iiexible elements 2l pass overrollers 39 journaled on shafts 410 carried by the body portion (i of thehandle adjacent the ends thereof. The inner ends of the flexibleelements 211 are trained in opposite directions around sheaves 25 formedupon opposite sides of a drum 27 journaled on a shaft 26 held in theside walls of the body portion 5 Of the handle. The drum 27 isperipherally graduated as indicated at 28, the graduations indicated at28 being visible through an opening 31 in the lid portion 6 of thehandle, there being an index 30 projecting into the opening 3l andadapted t0 coperate with the graduations 28 on the drum 27. Locatedwithin the drum 27 is a spiral spring 29, one end of which is secured tothe shaft 26, the other end of which is secured to the drum 27.

A means is provided whereby the upper ends of the links 3, at the willof the operator, may be coupled up with the bifurcations 9 of thehandle, to the end that, when desired, no strain will be imposed uponthe springs 12. `With this end in view a yoke is mounted in the bodyportion 6 of the handle to move transversely thereof, the yoke embodyinga bar 32 lying along one side wall of the body portion 6 of the handle,the bar 32 being provided at its ends with U- shaped heads 33.Compression springs 34 surround the inner arms 41 of the heads 33 andabut against the bar 32 and against one side wall of the body 6, theouter ends of the heads 33 forming iingers 35 adapted to enter thetubular pivot elements 10 and 20, as will be understood clearly fromFig. 5. In order to actuate the latch mechanism including the bar 32 andthe heads 33, there is journaled for rotation in the lid 7 of thehandle, an upright shaft 36. At its lower end, the shaft 36 is equippedwith a foot 37 which lies between the bar 32 and one side wall of thebody portion 6 of the handle. At its upper end, the shaft 36 is providedwith a radially projecting thumb lever 38.

ln practical operation, the parts are normally disposed as shown inFigs. 5 and 1. Under such circumstances, the springs 34 tend to push thelatch yoke 32-33 laterally and to hold the same in abutment with thefoot 37 of the shaft 36, the fingers 35 lying in one pair of the tubularpivot elements 10 and the tubular pivot elements 20. Thus, the upperends of the links 3 are pivotally supported upon the fingers 35 and thetongs may be operated in the usual manner, without putting the springs12 under compression.

llVhen it is desired to weigh the ice or any other article, the shaft 36is rotated through the medium of the thumb lever 38, the foot 37engaging the bar 32 and moving the same laterally, the springs 34E beingput under compression and the fingers 35 being retracted out of thetubular pivot elements 20 which are carried in the bifurcations 18 ofthe links 3. Now, the springs 12 are subject to pressure, when anarticle is held between the lower ends of the jaws 1, the lower ends ofthe springs 12 abutting against the lower ends of the casings 11 whichare supported upon the pivot elements 10 in the handle 6, the springs 12being compressed through the medium of the pins lei in the links. rEhus,the indicators 15 will move upon the scales 17 and disclose upon thecasings 12, the weight of the article. At the same time, as the links 3are retracted in the casings 11, tension will be imparted to theflexible elements 2li through the medium of the links 2l. The drum 27will be rotated, the spring 29 being put under tension and the properpoint on the graduated scale 29 appearing adjacent the index 30.

As the lower ends of the jaws 1 are separated to receive an article, theupper ends of the jaws are separated also, the links 3 swinging in theopposite directions and the casings 11 swinging along with the links,the casings being pivotally connected with the handle. Owing to the factthat the links 21 are mounted to swing on the tubular elements 20, theiieXible elements 24E are never actuated by the opening movement of thejaws 1, but are actuated only when the springs 12 are compressed and thelinks 3 are slid downwardly, due to the weight carried by the aws 1.

lf desired, the indicating drum 27 and attendant mechanisms inay bedispensed with.

One of the important features of the invention resides in thn fact thatwhen the parts are positioned with respect to each other as shown inFig. 5, the springs 12 are not under compression. In the ordinary use ofthe device, therefore, the springs are not strained, the weight of thearticle being carried into the fingers 35. lThe operator, however, atany time, may effect a weighing of the article by retracting the lingers35 through the medium of the thumb lever 38, the weight, under suchcircumstances being thrown into the springs 12. Y

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed is 1. ln a device ofthe class described, a handle; a pair of tongs comprising coperatingmembers; means for connecting one 110 of said members to one end of thehandle;

a spring forming an operative connection between the other of saidmembers and the handle; a weight indicating device responsive to thespring; a link pivoted to the 115 other of said members, the link andthe handle having openings; and a shiftable connecting element mountedon the handle and adapted to move into and out of the openings, therebyto connect and disconnect 120 the link with the handle.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of tongs; a handle;springs forming operative connections between the ends of the handle andtongs; weight indicating devices 125 responsive to the action of thesprings; links pivoted to the tongs, the links and the handle beingprovided with openings; a yoke mounted in the handle and includingfingers adapted to move into and out of the open- 130 ings thereby toconnect and disconnect the links from the handle; and a means carried bythe handle for operating the yoke.

3. In a device of the class described, a handle; a pair of tongs;springs forming operative connections between the ends of the tongs andthe ends of the handle; a weight indicating device in the handle; andconnections between the weight indicating device and the tongs.

4l. In a device of the class described, a handle; a pair of tongs;springs forming operative connections between the ends of the tongs andthe ends of the handle; a weight indicating device in the handle;connections between the weight indicating device and the tongs; andmovable means for connecting the tongs to the handle independently ofthe springs.

5. In a device of the class described, a handle; a pair of tongs;springs forming operative connections between the ends of the tongs andthe ends of the handle; a weight indicating device in the handle;connections between the weight indicating device and the tongs; andlatch mechanism carried by the handle, the latch mechanism beingdetachably intel-locked with the tongs independently of the springs.

G. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivotally connectedjaws; links pivoted to the jaws; a handle; casings pivoted to the handleand receiving the links slidably, one of the casings being graduated,and one of the links having an indicator adapted to register on thegraduations; and springs located in the casings and forming operativeconnections between the casings and the links.

7. In a device of the class described; pivotally connected jaws; linkspivoted to the jaws; a handle; springs forming operative connectionsbetween the links and the handle; a weight indicating device in thehandle; other links pivoted to the iirst specified links; andconnections uniting said other links with the weight indicating device.

8. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivotally connectedjaws; a handle; means for connecting one end of the handle with one jaw;a link pivoted to the other jaw; a spring forming an operativeconnection between the link and the handle; a second link pivoted to thefirst speciied link; a spring retracted indicating drum journaled in thehandle; and a flexible connection between the second link and the drum.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DOUGLAS HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

T. F. FRAZIER, S. L. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

